1. Field of the Invention
A water sport equipment rack for safe and secure transport in a boat is provided. More specifically, a rack is disclosed that is designed to hold various water sport equipment and to attach to the inside wall panel of a boat by an adjustable apparatus to improve the method of supporting and stabilizing the water sport equipment and to protect the water sport equipment, the boat, and the passengers.
2. Description of the Background Art
Water sports have become, with increasing participation, a popular sport for competition and recreation. With a variety of water sport equipment now available to be used in connection with a boat, an adequate holding device to accommodate the variety of water sport equipment is necessary to provide storage, support and stability to the equipment and to provide protection and safety to the equipment, the boat, and the passengers.
Many new models of boats now have provisions for the storage of the current variety of water sport equipment. However, older models and some new models of boats do not have provisions for storage; consequently, the water sport equipment is loosely placed in the boat, often on the floor, posing a harm to the equipment, the boat, or the passengers.
Several racks for storage of water sport equipment have been devised in the past for securement of the equipment on a boat during transport. However, none has been devised to attach to the inboard wall panel, and none is devised to accommodate the current variety of water sport equipment now available.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,811,143 introduces a water ski holder that mounts to an engine of an inboard motor boat. The disclosed rack is devised to store water skis on the rack above the engine. A resilient member straps over the water skis to secure them in place. The rack also includes a hook for attachment of a tow rope.
Disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,925,836 is a ski rack that mounts on the exterior transom of a boat. This invention is a rack that extends upward over the outboard engine and secures water skis outside of the cockpit of a boat.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,056,220 presents a portable device for storage of water skis and tow ropes. The portable device mounts on the transom of a boat, extending out of the cockpit of the boat.
A ski rack is introduced in U.S. Pat. No. 4,234,112 having tubular posts that mount, by means of suction cups, to the horizontal top and vertical side external surfaces of a boat, thus exterior to the cockpit. The rack is devised to hold up to two pairs of water skis that would stack on top of the other.
Disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,330,065 is a portable water ski rack. The disclosed portable rack is intended to be mounted over the boat engine with securement of the rack to either the engine or the boat frame. The disclosed rack is also designed only for securement of water skis, and not other current water sport equipment.
Related in U.S. Pat. No. 4,582,015 is a rack for supporting water skis exterior to the cockpit of a boat. The rack has a pair of support members that attach to the gunwale of the boat with the support members extending outside the side of the boat.
A water ski storage rack is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,858,802. The disclosed rack is devised as a V-shaped support for water skis and the like that resiliently connects to a lower support element. The rack is intended to be mounted on a boat, outside of the cockpit. The rack supports water skis and the like by stacking a set of skis on top of the other.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,863,082 discloses a lockable water ski rack having a lower support base hinged to an upper support frame that closes and locks the water skis in place. This rack mounts to the gunwale or transom of a boat, outside of the cockpit. The rack is intended to hold water skis and the tow rope.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,105,754 discloses a water ski rack fashioned with support legs that position over and attach to the boat engine cover. The disclosed rack is devised to be utilized as an apparatus to secure water skis and to be utilized as a tow hook for use in towing a skier. The disclosed rack is devised only to secure water skis and not other current water sport equipment.
The foregoing patents reflect the state of the art of which the applicant is aware and are tendered with the view toward discharging applicant's acknowledged duty of candor in disclosing information which may be pertinent in the examination of this application. It is respectfully submitted, however, that none of these patents teaches or renders obvious, singly or when considered in combination, applicant's claimed invention.